Heel.



PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908. 0. L. WHITING. HEEL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21. 1903'.

I No. 891,513.

- l/V/T/VES'S'ES'.

, UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

COMFORT L.- WHITING, OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOEMACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, AND BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23,1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, COMFORT L. WHITING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have in vented certain Improvements in Heels, of,

which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawingsindicating like parts in'the several figures.

This invention relates to heels for boots and shoes.

The object of the invention is to provide a heel in which the part thatis to be removed placed between the inner and outer soles.

As is well known, a heel is made up of layers of leather or othersuitable material cut to the desired shape and size and securedtogether. The heel formed by these layers of leather is compressed inall of its dimensions to force the layers closely together, andsimultaneously with this compressing operation the seat of the heel ismolded to fit the heel-seat end of the sole of the shoe.

The heel is fastened to the shoe by nails, and during this attachingoperation the heel is forced against the sole by such pressure that theheel becomes embedded in the sole. The heel is usually beveled at thecorner or edge formed by the junction of the seat and the breast, sothat in the operation of attaching the heel the shank portion of thesole will not be indented by the portion of the heel that is to beremoved during the breasting operation. The method heretofore employedfor beveling this corner or edge of the heel to prevent the shankportion of the sole from being marred or indented has not accomplishedthe desired result on account of a roughened projection, whichis alwaysformed,

in the operation of compressing the heel, on

the lower edge of the beveled portion, that is, the edge at the junctionof the breast and the beveled part of the heel, which roughenedprojection is forced into the sole when the heel is being attached andmakes. an indentation in the sole which showsplainly after the heel hasbeen breasted. To overcome this marring or indenting of the shankportion of the sole by the roughened projection on the lower edge of thebeveled part of the heel I have provided a heel in which the edge formedby the. junction of the breast and seat is beveled, and the lower edgeof this beveled portion where it joins with the breast is rounded.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of aportion of a compressed heel showing the roughened projection which isformed on the lower edge of the beveled portion of the heel during thecompressing operation; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly insection, of a portion of my improved compressed heel, showing thebeveled portion having a rounded lower edge.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 2 designates a compressed heel, 4the seat of the heel, and 6 the breast of the heel. The cor ner formedby the junction of the seat and breast is beveled at 8, and 10designates the roughened proj ection which forms on the lower edge ofthe beveled portion during the operation of compressing the heel. Ashereinbe- .fore pointed out, this roughened projection will cut into theshank portion of the sole when the heel is being attached to the shoe,and when the heel'is subsequently breasted the indentation in the solewill show plainly. This detracts greatly from the appearance of theshoe, as it is impossible to remove the indentation by scouring orsand-papering, and as the shank is the portion of the sole on which atrademark or stamp is often placed, and is, therefore, a part of theshoe that is usually examined by a purchaser, it is desirable to havethe shank portion smooth and free from all imperfections.

In the heel shown in Fig. 2, which represents the preferred form of myinvention, the corner or edge formed by the junction of the breast andseat is beveled at 8 and the lower edge of the beveled portion isrounded at 12. When such a heel is attached to a shoe there is nopossibility of the shank portion of the sole being marred, as the loweredge of the beveled part of the heel is perfectly smooth and free fromany roughened projection. The lower edge of the' beveled portion isshown as rounded only at the center, as it is at this point that theroughened projection is most prominent, but if so desired the whole edgemay be rounded.

The seat of the heel is provided with a depression which is flat at 14and is inclined at 16, this depression being formed in the seat toreceive the portion of the outer sole which is forced outwardly by theshank or stiffener which is placed between the inner and outer soles,and on the breast of the heel is formed a bulge 18 which comprises theleather that has been displaced to form the depression in the seat ofthe heel.

By forming the bulge 18 on the breast of the heel a uniform compressionof the heel throughout its body is insured, and the liability of a bulgeforming on the treadface of the heel is obviated. The bulge 18 is formedon the heel by providing the breast plate of the compressing dies withan opening into which-the displaced leather may flow when the heel isbeing compressed, so as to relieve the pressure on the heel at the pointwhere the depression is formed in the seat. If no outlet were providedfor this displaced leather the heel would be compressed to such a degreewhere the depression was formed that soon after it had been removed fromthe dies a bulge would form on the tread face of the heel, and otherportions of the heel would not be compressed sufficiently to force thelifts of the heel closely together.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. As a new article of manufacture, a heel having a bevel at thejunction of the seat and breast, and a rounded surface at the extremebreast edge merging with said bevel.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a heel having a beveled portion atthe junction of the seat and the breast, a part of the lower edge ofsaid beveled portion intermediate the sides of the heel being rounded.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a heel in which the seat is providedwith a depressed portion for receiving a bulging part of the outer sole,said portion being substantially flat at its center and inclined at 16,substantially as described.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a heel in which theseat has adepressed portion and the breast has a bulge formed by the leather whichwas forced out of the seat to form the depression therein, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

COMFORT L. WHITING.

Witnesses:

WELLs L. CHURCH, ARTHUR L. RUssELL.

